He has not played a single minute of first team football for Manchester United
this season but Darren Fletcher will be at the heart of Scotland’s attempt
to take a significant stride towards the Euro 2012 play-offs against the
Czech Republic before a capacity crowd at Hampden Park today.

Fighting fit: Darren Fletcher says he has recovered from a mystery illnessPhoto: PA

Fletcher, victim of an unidentified virus that caused him to shed weight he could ill afford to lose last season, was told to have a restful summer and has completed all of two reserve games for United on the run-up to a contest in which Scotland must beat a Czech side who are five points ahead of them in Group I.

Craig Levein’s players do have a game in hand but nothing short of a win this afternoon and another at home to Lithuania on Tuesday – plus a further three points in Liechtenstein on Oct 8 – will keep them on course for the play-offs. Scotland teams rarely prevail three times in succession but, since Levein has prudently written off any likely reward from their final qualifier against Spain in Alicante on Oct 11, a triple success is now crucial.

The Czechs will be without Petr Cech because of the medial knee ligament injury he sustained in training last month, but since the Scots have not been in the business of terrorising opposition goalkeepers for some time, the visitors may not feel unduly troubled by the Chelsea goalkeeper’s absence.

“We are confident that we still have a strong side even without Cech,” said the Galatasaray striker, Milan Baros, formerly of Liverpool and Aston Villa. “And one point is good for us, although we hope we can even win. The Scots are under more pressure than us because they have to win.”

Scotland will go with Levein’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Kenny Miller as the lone striker. The Cardiff City forward will have wide support from his former Rangers club-mate, Steven Naismith and West Brom’s James Morrison, with Fletcher and Scott Brown, the Celtic captain, in the central midfield positions.

Charlie Adam – described by Levein as “my quarterback”– comes into the game buoyed by scoring in front of the Kop in Liverpool’s victory over Bolton last weekend. He will play in front of a central defensive pairing which sees Christophe Berra of Wolves selected ahead of Adam’s Anfield colleague, Danny Wilson alongside Gary Caldwell of Wigan Athletic.

The Premier League, in fact, has contributed the whole Scottish back line, with Alan Hutton – who was granted leave to return south so that he could complete his move from Tottenham to Aston Villa on Wednesday – at right back and Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley on the other flank. Fletcher, however, will inevitably be under the greatest scrutiny because of his lack of match fitness.

“It’s no gamble,” Levein insisted. “There are two things you look at with player selection. One is form, the other is fitness.

“He has done a lot of training and it’s not as if he just recovered two weeks ago. He is ready.

“He is our captain and even though he has not been with us the last few games his behaviour and his values are the benchmark for the rest of the team. I am trying to create this club team mentality and for me Darren is the epitome of what we are looking for in a Scotland international player.

“Training is professional, everyone is always ready in time – there is no messing about. When there is work, it’s work – it’s like a switch that goes on.

“That’s his mentality and it’s rubbing off on other players. In the first training sessions I had in this job there were guys kicking balls about all over the place, not listening, turning up late for meetings and you almost felt they were doing us a favour by turning up.

“I was shocked by that a bit, yes – of course I was – but now the role model is Darren Fletcher.”

The Scottish captain confessed yesterday that he had been at a particularly low ebb last season. “I was delighted that Manchester United and got to the Champions League final but I felt that I was not a part of it, even though I played 39, 40 games in the season and we won the league,” he said.

“I was always positive I would come back even though nobody could diagnose exactly what had been wrong. I’ve had two reserve games lately and that’s brought back a bit of match sharpness, but I feel my experience will take me through – and I’m a naturally fit guy.”

Fletcher’s illness kept him out of Scotland’s week-long training camp in La Manga, their friendly against Brazil at the Emirates and their Carling Cup meetings with Wales and the Republic of Ireland in May as well as last month’s friendly victory over Denmark at Hampden.

This involuntary exile has sharpened Fletcher’s perception of the changes wrought by Levein and the exceptional circumstance of a 25-strong squad which assembled without any call-offs.

“I actually spoke to Kenny Miller and Gary Caldwell about it this week and said that this is probably the best squad I’ve been involved with – in terms of quality and numbers – since I started playing international football,” said Fletcher.

“Everyone is really excited and looking forward to this – three o’clock at a packed Hampden Park with the crowd willing us on. It’s exactly what you imagine when you dream of playing for your country and if we win, the feeling will be simply fantastic.”